Automatic and manual fire-alarm



No. 749,175. PATENTED JAN. 12, 1904.

' W. L. DENIO.

- AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL FIRE-ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1903.

No. 749,175.. i PATENTED JAN.12,1904.

` W. L. DBNIO.' AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL PIRE ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY14J1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 12, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM LIVINGSTON DENIO, OF ROCHESTER, NEI/V YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO I-IOBART F. ATKINSON, OF ROCHESTER, YEr YORK.

AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL FIRE-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,175, dated January 12, 1904.

Application filed May 14, 1908. Serial No. 15 7,126. (No model.)

T a/ZZ whom/ t may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM LIVINGSTON DENIo, a resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic and Manual Fire-Alarms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which IO. it pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to fire-alarms of the kind adapted to be operated either automatically by thermostats or manually. One or more of the improved boxes Inay be located I 5 in a building, all boxes in the same building being adapted to send the same number, so that the fire-department will be informed by operation of either alarm-box what building the fire is in, and no street-box common to 2oV the several house alarms, as in some old systems, is necessary.

The invention consists in certain improvements in a fire-alarm box, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

2 5 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the box with cover removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the cover being on. Figs. 3 and are side views from opposite sides, respectively, the

cover being in section, of the box; and Fig'.

L is an enlarged longitudinal section of a resistance device forming' part of the signal device.

The alarm-box has a back plate 1 and inte- 3 5 gral base 2 at right angles thereto, said plates having ribs 3, the base-I'ib having a lug 4 with perforation 5, hereinafter referred to. Part 6 is a cover adapted to inclose the alarm Inechanism and iitting snugly over rib 3, and

4o having means, as screw 8, for securing it to the rib 3 and back 1.

9 18 indicate box-terminals on the insulating' supporting-plate 7, which in use are to be connected to a suitable circuit extending' to the receiving-station.

The normal circuit connection in the box extends from terminal 9 to wire 11, spring 12,'circuit-wheel 13, to arm 141e, mounted on i the winding-shaft 15, to spring 16, which is insulated from the mechanism and is con- 5o nected by wire 17 to the box-terminal 18. This short-circuits signal-lamp 18".

In Fig. 1 the mechanism is shown wound and ready to operate when the weight 19 of the escapement 20 is released. Said weight 55 has side wings 21, preferably of insulation, notched or separated to normally receive lugs 22, which are on the lower side of two springs 23, shown made of one piece connected at the supporting end. freight 19 when released 6o swings in the open space between the free ends of the springs. Both springs extend over a push-I'od 24, so that when the single push-I'od is operated it will raise both springs 23, together with their lugs 22, thus releasing the escapement and starting the alarm mechanism. Arm 14; immediately leaves spring 13, breaking the normal short circuit, thus throwing all the current through the box signal-circuit. As the circuit-wheel 13 turns 70 it breaks and makes the signal-circuit, which extends from terminal 9 to spring 12, to wheel 13, frame, wire 13", to lamp 18 and to boxterminal 18. The flashing of lamp 18L shows the alarm-sender that the system is working 7 5 properly, the iiashes that he sees corresponding to the number or message sent. This signal-lamp for the purpose described has advantages over a bell or similar device.

To protect the signal-lamp and to maintain 8O the circuit closed should the lamp burn out,

a resistance 26 in a shunt around the lamp is provided. Preferably this I'esistance consists of pulverized poor conducting material in an opening through an insulating-body 27. ln the ends of the opening are plugs or screws 28 by which said material Inay be more or less compressed to vary the resistance.

29 indicates plugs extending transversely to the resistance-o1Iening, but not extending inte 90 the opening' sufliciently to block it. These plugs 29 form means for connecting' the lamp shunt-wires to the resistance or poor conducting material. Plugs 29 are between the end plugs or screws and nearer together, so that the end plugs can be moved Inward somedistance to compress the pulverized material without breaking contact between the material and plugs 29.

' 30 indicates a spring which when part 24 is pushed in moves under a projecting part of 24, locking it in, so that the escapement can continue to vibrate.

Under the free ends of spring 23 are thermostats having normally compressed springs 32, which springs at a predetermined high temperature become released by the effect of the heat, and the springs expanding raise both springs 23 and release the escapement in the same manner as the manual push 24. rIhe accidental operation of either one of the thermostats cannot release the escapement. Both must operate, because when one thermostat only operates the lug 22 of the spring 23 not over that thermostat remains in engagement. This frequently prevents false alarms and prevents the alarm-circuit being thrown out of operative condition by such accident.

Push 24 is inclosed in a glass tube 25, which must be broken when it is desired to operate the push to send an alarm. The open end of the glass tube is provided with a flange 33, which is engaged by a slide 84 to hold the tube in place. Said slide is supported movably on the bottom 2 by a screw 35, extending through elongated slot 36 in the bottom.

37 is a pin projecting inward from the cover and passing through the hole in lug 4, thus normally holding the slide in enga-gement with the tube-flange. To test the device or to place a whole tube over the push when the first tube has been broken, an authorized person removes the cover, when the tube-holding slide can be retracted. The new tube is then slipped over the push 24 and the slide again moved forward and held by the replaced cover and pin.

It will be noted that at the end of one revolution arm 14 will come to rest in contact with spring 16, insulated from spring 16 and from the mechanism, but connected by wire 17 to terminal 18. r1`his second spring 16 is not always essential, as arm 14 may stop against the reverse side of spring 16. The box is reset by moving arm 14 back to original position.

A single wire 17 is shown connecting terminal 18 to both springs 16 16a, to the lamp and resistance, but this is not essential. I do not limit myself to the precise form and arrangement of springs 23 shown nor the means shown for holding tube 25, and other parts may be varied somewhat without departing from the invention.

I am aware that thermostats closed either manually or by thermostats have been proposed for releasing' signal-wheel mechanism electrically; but the present invention involves manual and thermostatic devices at and forming part of the signal-box apparatus and acting directly and mechanically to free the escapement.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a number-sending wheel, a circuit making and breaking spring therefor, the wheel and spring being connected to opposite terminals of the box, driving means, an escapement therefor, a manual releasing device at the box including an operating-rod, a plurality of springs operated thereby, movement of all such springs being necessary for releasing the escapement, and a plurality of thermostatic devices also at the box and acting on the same springs for releasing the escapement.

2. The combination of a number-sending wheel, a circuit making and breaking spring therefor, the wheel and spring being connected to opposite terminals of the box, driving means, an escapement, an escapement-pendulum normally held by a plurality of springs, a manual releasing device at the box including an operating-rod, a plurality of springs operated thereby, movement of all such springs being necessary for releasing the escapement, and a plurality of thermostatic devices also at the box and acting on the same springs for releasing the escapement.

3. The combination of a number-sending wheel, a contact circuit breaking and making spring therefor, driving means, an escapement therefor, a weight suspended from the escapement, parts connected to the weight adapted to engage ribs, springs carrying such ribs and normally holding them in engagement, and means for raising the springs to lift their ribs out of engagement for releasing the weight and escapement.

4. The combination in a lire-alarm box of a number-sending wheel, a contact-spring for said wheel, driving means for said wheel, an escapement therefor with an escapementweight 19 having side wings 21, springs 23, ribs 22 engaging the wings, and means for raising the springs and ribs.

5. In a fire-alarm box the combination of a sending-wheel, a contact-spring for said wheel, driving means for said wheel, a vibratory weighted escapement, two integral springs, the weight vibrating between the springs, and having wings extending near the springs, and parts carried by springs engaging the wings.

6. In a lire-alarm box the signal-wheel and spring, driving means for said signal-wheel, a signal-lainp at the box and connected between the terminals and normally inoperative, and an adjustable resistance in a shunt around said lamp.

7. In a lire-alarm box the signal-wheel and spring, driving means for said signal-wheel, a signal-lamp connected in the signal-circuit,

IOO

IIO

IO tor, a glass cover for the same, Said cover having' a flange at its open end, a slide engaging said ange, the box-cover, and means carried thereby for holding the slide in engagement.

In testimony whereof 1 have signed this specilication in the presence of two Subscribing witnesses.

Wl'lILIAM LlVlNGSTON DENIO.

lftnesses:

H. E. BALL, A. S. CAMIBELL. 

